Dark Night → Farrow & Ball
The closest Farrow & Ball matches for Sherwin Williams Dark Night (SW 6237), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Farrow & Ball Equivalent for Dark Night
If you love Sherwin Williams Dark Night but need a Farrow & Ball alternative, you are not alone. This is one of the most common cross-brand paint matching searches, whether you are working with a painter who prefers Farrow & Ball, your local store does not carry Sherwin Williams, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Dark Night (SW 6237) is a dark navy with deep navy undertones. A deep, inky navy-black. Darker than Naval, with less blue saturation. Approaches black but retains enough blue to read as the darkest possible navy rather than a true black. To find a good Farrow & Ball match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 3) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Dark Night and every Farrow & Ball color using the CIE2000 Delta E formula, which measures how different two colors look to the human eye. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart. Between 2 and 4, you might notice a difference in certain lighting. Above 5, the difference is clearly visible side by side.
The results are decent but not perfect. The closest Farrow & Ball option is Off-Black (No.57) with a Delta E of 3.7, which is a "good match" level match. Off-Black is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 4. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible. You will want to test a sample before committing, as the difference may be noticeable in certain lighting.
Farrow & Ball Matches for Dark Night
Off-Black is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 4. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible.
| Dark Night | Off-Black | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 3 | 4 |
| Hex | #2B343E | #353835 |
| Undertone | Deep Navy | Green-Black |
| Family | Navy | Black |
Undertone Comparison
Dark Night has deep navy undertones. A deep, inky navy-black. Darker than Naval, with less blue saturation. Approaches black but retains enough blue to read as the darkest possible navy rather than a true black.
Off-Black has green-black undertones. F&B's signature not-quite-black. Softer and warmer than a flat black, with a subtle green undertone that gives it depth and life. The black of old floorboards and iron railings.
The undertone difference is worth paying attention to. While they are close in overall appearance, the different undertones mean they may diverge in certain lighting. Dark Night's deep navy quality may read differently than Off-Black's green-black character, especially in rooms with strong directional light or colored accents that could pull out one undertone more than the other. Test a sample in your specific room before committing.
How These Colors Behave in Different Lighting
Dark Night in Your Room
In any lighting, this reads as very dark. In bright direct light, you can see the deep blue. In dim rooms, it is essentially black with blue depth. Dramatic and bold.
Off-Black in Your Room
In bright light, the green undertone shows subtly. In dim rooms, reads as a sophisticated soft black. Under candlelight, alive with depth.
LRV and Brightness
Dark Night has an LRV of 3, while Off-Black has an LRV of 4. These two colors reflect a very similar amount of light, so you should not notice a significant difference in room brightness when switching between them. The room will feel approximately the same in terms of light and space, which makes this a smoother transition.
Best Rooms for Dark Night
Sherwin Williams recommends Dark Night for: front door, accent wall, shutters, exterior trim, powder room. With an LRV of 3, this is a dark color that absorbs more light than it reflects. It makes a bold statement and works beautifully on accent walls, front doors, exterior trim, and features where drama is the goal. In a full room, make sure you have good lighting and bright white trim for contrast.
Off-Black is recommended for: front door, railings, exterior trim, accent wall, furniture. Both colors are recommended for similar applications, which confirms that this is a practical cross-brand match. You can use Off-Black in the same rooms you planned for Dark Night.
Dark Night in Other Brands
Looking for Dark Night equivalents in other brands besides Farrow & Ball? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Farrow & Ball match for Dark Night (SW 6237) is Off-Black (No.57) with a Delta E of 3.7, which rates as a "good match" match. Off-Black is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 4. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible. Delta E measures perceptual color distance on a scale where under 2 means nearly identical, 2 to 4 means close with subtle differences, and over 5 means clearly noticeable.
No, they are not identical. Dark Night is a Sherwin Williams color with deep navy undertones and an LRV of 3. Off-Black is a Farrow & Ball color with green-black undertones and an LRV of 4. With a Delta E of 3.7, the difference is subtle and mainly visible in direct side-by-side comparison. Paint formulations differ between brands, so even colors with similar values can look slightly different due to pigment concentration, binders, and finish.
With a Delta E of 3.7, the difference is enough that they should not be used on adjacent walls in the same room. You can use them in separate rooms of the same house, but be aware that walking from one room to the other may reveal the difference, especially if the rooms have similar lighting. For the most consistent look, pick one brand for all connected living spaces and reserve the other brand for visually separate rooms like bathrooms or bedrooms behind closed doors.
There are several practical reasons to look for a Farrow & Ball equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Farrow & Ball. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Farrow & Ball work, matching within the same brand gives you the best consistency for seamless results.
Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.